Paradise Prison
by InfiniteSet
Summary: AU, sort of. A non-Avatar Aang washes up on a strange island where no one can bend, and worse, no one can escape.
1. Died and Resurrected

A/N: I don't know what this is or why I'm writing it.

**Prologue: I Have "Died" Once And Was "Resurrected" Again**

"...Unn..." The sky above was blue. There were sparse, fluffy white clouds lazily floating past. Aang's whole body ached, like he'd fallen down a hill and hit a rock. Well, it wasn't like he hadn't done that before, but... this ache was worse. It was as though... as though he had...

_Had... what, exactly? What happened? I was at home... we were playing... I couldn't get the scooter to... why didn't the scooter... Did I- fall from the monastery? _ Aang choked on air. _I should be dead! That fall is too- there's no way. I definitely didn't fall from there._

But the scene replaying in his mind was telling him the opposite. Sure, he was playing with Mino and Kasi, and he recalled that part of the game was to quickly dissipate and reform their scooters over the ocean... but he'd never failed to do it before. So he kept thinking that he couldn't have possibly fallen from there, but... where else could it have been from?

His side ached. He tried to move his head, but decided, after a sharp pain, that he would rather not. Instead, he stared at the clouds again.

_Lucky._ He thought wistfully. _You don't fall._

He wasn't sure how long he was there, staring into the sky. He wasn't really moving, because everything hurt. The more he thought about it, the more cool and comfortable he was feeling. He could just go to sleep... and later, when he was feeling better...

"Well." The voice startled him. A figure suddenly blocked his view. The hair made him think it was a female, but the voice wasn't a clear indicator of gender. "What do we have here."

"Nngh...?"

"S'okay kid. I get it." The person bent down and Aang got a better view. It was a woman alright... dark skinned, and older than he was. She had very bright blue eyes. "You're beat up. I got it. You don't have to keep trying to talk about it."

"?" He realized that his chest was burning. He was having difficulty breathing. How hadn't he noticed that before? He panicked, coughing up blood.

"Yeah, yeah." She said, hefting him carefully. "Just relax. Doctor. I got you."

He was slipping in and out of consciousness, but... when he came to, from time to time, he was no longer staring at the sky. There was a thatched, grass roof above him. He could feel the woman's hands every now and then. She barely spoke, though if he tried to speak, she silenced him. He supposed it was just because he was ill or injured- or both, he didn't know.

He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, but his savior one day said, "Alright, kid. You should be fine in about a month or so. I did you a favor."

"...Unn...?" Aang moaned.

"...Oh, right. Your chest was beat to hell. Dunno, kid, your injuries make me think you fell down a mountain." She shook her head. "...Well. Whatever. You need to eat something more than seaweed...hmm, but I really don't have anything..." She seemed to be leaving. Aang sat up. He ached... but he was definitely in a hut. It was made of palm leaves and what looked like driftwood, and one wall was white stone. Next to him, there was a bowl of dried seaweed. He stared at it before reaching out and taking some. It tasted good. His arms and legs were killing him... and he couldn't really move... but he was thankful. He was _alive_. He didn't realize how close an encounter with death he'd had but he was thankful that this woman came along and saved him.

Now if only he could figure out where he was.


	2. Identity

**Chapter 1: I Can't Help But Want To Scream Out, I'm Searching Recklessly For my "Identity"**

His voice didn't come back for a few days (or at least it felt like a few days), but in that time, he got to know his savior. Well, somewhat. Despite his efforts, she wasn't very open. She was a quiet, calm individual, usually unshaken, who spent her time doing odd things. One day she was cracking open coconuts and hollowing them out, but putting the flesh into leaves- not eating them. Another day she spent turning the sand on the beach into glass. It was an odd, not completely clear glass and it felt weird, nothing like what Aang was used to. She fished, collected seaweed... she was an odd person, but Aang was thankful that she was helpful. She didn't let him eat anything but seaweed, though.

They lived on a small beach, surrounded by water. There was a giant wall of white stone, so huge he wasn't sure how to climb it. He was certain that he could airbend his way up, though. He hadn't tried to airbend recently, though it hurt to even move around. He assumed it would be absolute hell to airbend. His motions were too jerky and his body too raw.

There was a small, grassy patch of land, where the house was and two trees grew there. He wasn't familiar with the type, but they didn't grow anything worth paying attention to. They did provide shade, which was nice. The area was too hot and sunny for Aang's tastes. There were a couple of palm trees in the sand, and a few trees that bore coconuts further down the tiny stretch of land. When he did manage to hobble outside, he watched her climb those trees a lot. She used the leaves and the bark a lot and was tending to a few that she was trying to grow.

Near the grassy area, there were many huge rocks. In between some of the bigger rocks, the woman had set up what looked like a laboratory. She made glass there, in a small oven-like furnace she created from rocks. the coconut pulp tied in palm leaves were all dried and rolled in that area. She didn't like when Aang went in there, so he tended not to. They fished from atop the rocks, though.

When he regained his voice, he had to ask questions. She usually ignored him, but she did end up teaching him some of her daily activities, or at least the ones he could do without too much movement. The first thing he learned to do was collect water. She made huge cup-like containers from clay, and one day she showed him how to collect fresh water. He didn't have to dig holes- she usually did that- but it was his job to wet leaves and fill the hole surrounding her clay cup with those wet leaves. Then he covered the hole with a large leaf and weighed it down with rocks. When he asked her why it was safe to drink the water that way, she didn't respond. It was kind of annoying. He wanted to drink water from the coconuts, but she aid drinking that too much coconut water acted as a laxative. He couldn't argue with her- she was a doctor.

After that, he had to learn how to find clay. She pointed out where clay was and showed him what it looked like dry and wet. He didn't have to dig it up, though- she didn't seem to need any usually. Instead, she showed him where to look to get snails and crustaceans, but forbade him to do it anywhere near the shade. The only boon was that he was usually in the shallow pool of water near the rocks, so he was somewhat cool while he was doing that job.

She pointed him away from most plants. He wanted to eat something that smelled nutty, like almonds, but she practically slapped it out of his hands and warned him about poison. The fish nearby were all pretty much inedible too. Every now and then he'd try to eat a coconut and get a sound talking to. Since she was fully aware of all the resources nearby, he just didn't eat anything she didn't tell him to.

When Aang asked why she didn't eat the coconut, she shrugged. When he asked about how few fish there were, she ignored him. Eventually, Aang realized that she didn't talk unless she was in a mood to talk, and even then it wasn't usually much.

But Aang always remembered to thank her. He could sort of remember what happened to him, but not really. If she hadn't helped him, for sure he would've died.

Surprisingly, one day, she responded. They were sitting on the rocks- which were really hot, but she had sewn together mats out of the palm leaves that they always rolled out before sitting down- and Aang was getting antsy from the silence. He finally blurted, "Thanks for saving me."

"...You're just fortunate I'm a doctor, kid." Aang nodded in surprise. Normally, when they were up on the rocks and she was fishing, she didn't respond to anything he said. He knew, because he usually asked her why she fished. He wasn't sure why she fished when all the fish in the area she couldn't even eat, but she was using their bones for something in her laboratory.

_She must be in a good mood! I better try to see what else she'll answer._ "You're... uh, you're dark skinned. So, are you a... Waterbender?" He asked, curiously. He'd never met anyone outside of the Nomads before but he knew what the different races were like. It was strange- and interesting. He wanted to see real Waterbending, too.

"...Yeah, somewhat." She shrugged. "I'm not anymore."

"Huh?" He frowned. "...Why not? What happened?"

"..." She stared out into the horizon, quiet. Aang frowned, then pressed her.

"Did you hurt someone? Is that why you're not..."

She laughed, surprising him. "...Oh, sure. I've hurt people before. I'm a doctor. So that's just par for the course." She yawned widely.

_Doctors don't hurt people..._ Aang thought. "...Was it an accident?" She didn't respond. Aang frowned. _Oh! What if she doesn't want to think about it?!_ "Oh! Sorry! I- um, I'm sorry!"

She glanced at him. "Whatever, kid." She said, shaking her head and looking into the water again. He perked up. That wasn't like her usual behavior. _Maybe she feels like talking!_

There was so much he needed to know. First things first, Aang decided it was best to learn her name. He was unsure of how long he'd been there- maybe about two weeks- but he hadn't ever asked her for her name. Her actions were always too curious and he'd forget to ask. "Um... I'm Aang." He said. "...What's your name?"

She hesitated. For a moment, Aang worried that she wouldn't respond. But finally, she seemed to have cleared her mind. "...Laplace." She said.

"...Laplace...?"

"Right."

_That's a weird name._ he thought. "...Um, so... is there no one else on this island, Laplace?"

She pointed at the white stone wall. "...They're up there." Her tone was uncaring.

_Up... oh, right, right! It's pretty steep and hard to climb. She must've gotten trapped down here._ "...Oh! But you can't get up there?"

"..." She turned to look at him. "Why would I want to?"

"...Well, because there are other people..." Aang said, surprised. "...I mean... you must get lonely... all by yourself..."

"No." She shrugged. "I'm fine."

"..." Aang frowned. He couldn't imagine living by himself like this. "Um, Laplace..."

"Yes...?"

"...Have you met the people... up there?"

"Mm." She shrugged. "When I came here, I lived up there. Then I came here."

"Why?"

"...Because there's a serial killer up there." She said. "...More than one. They only sent murderers here." For saying something so absolutely terrible, she sounded flippant. Aang stared at her. _Is she joking? Wait, does she joke?_

"What? Only... murderers...?"

"Yes."

"...Then... you're..."

"A murderer? Sure." That sounded too acknowledging to be true.

_She said she's hurt people... but, it was an accident, right? It has to be. She's a doctor. But they sent her here? Maybe it was someone really important...?_ _And she killed them... by accident...?_ "...But, you're... a doctor. You killed someone by accident... right?"

She turned away and said nothing. Aang considered Laplace quietly.

He didn't know how old she was, maybe 30 or so? She had those bright, bright blue eyes, and her hair was long and black. She had a large scar on her back... he'd noted it a few times. More prominent was the one around her neck- one long, thin scar, like someone had tried to remove her head. She was rather petite, though she only really ate seaweed and kelp, so that wasn't odd. She wasn't particularly gentle, but... he didn't remember hurting too badly when she was nursing him back to health. He just... couldn't imagine she was a murderer. She didn't _look_ like one, though... Aang wasn't sure how murderers looked. And she certainly didn't act like one. She hadn't murdered him- she hadn't even hurt him. If anything, it looked like someone tried to murder her. But she wasn't arguing otherwise. She seemed so... resigned to her fate.

"...Um, so... before you came here..." Aang asked, carefully, "Where did you live?"

"Ba Sing Se." She said.

Aang blinked. "Isn't that the big city? The capital of the Earth Kingdom?"

"...Yeah."

"...And you were a doctor there...? Did you live with your family?"

"With my husband, yes."

_She's married?_ "Your husband?"

"Yes."

"...Oh. Is he here?"

"No. He's not a murderer."

"...Does he know you're here?"

"Probably not."

_Huh? He doesn't know she's here?_ "Why not?"

"I don't know if they told him they sent me here."

_They?_ He wondered. But when he voiced this question, she ignored him. "Um... what was his name?"

"...Soma." She said, surprisingly. Aang nodded. _Another weird name._

"...What did he do?"

"...He was a bounty hunter." She said. Then she paused. "...Is. A bounty hunter."

_That's pretty cool._ Aang thought. "Um, and you're not... sad to be alone? I mean... you were married... Don't you miss your husband?"

"...Soma?" She shrugged. "...I miss him. That doesn't change that I'm here, now."

"...Oh..." He murmured. _That must be so sad... to be so far away from someone you love._ "Well, you're doing well, so... maybe they'll let you go home!"

She snorted. "...There's no going home, kid. This place is my home now, until I die."

"But, you could go up there! And find a bender!" He said, excitedly. "And then you can go home! To Ba Sing Se!"

She snorted. "...No."

"Why not?" Aang asked.

"..." She shrugged and focused on fishing again. Aang tried asking her a few more questions- How old was she? Did she have children?- But she'd stopped answering questions.

Aang stared out into the horizon, quiet. _Laplace must have been alone for a long time._ He thought. _But what kind of place is this, where they only send murderers?_


	3. Sighs

**Chapter 2: On a Sleepless Tropical Night, I Cast Away Endless "Sighs"**

Aang was getting used to life on the little beach, but he was itching to see people again. Not that Laplace wasn't good company- she was certainly smart and really helpful- but they were too different. He really wanted to talk and she just didn't seem to want to.

But he was getting used to life with her. After she taught him how to tell time, he realized that he'd been living with her for a whole six months. Most of those months he spent barely able to move, too. That made him wonder even more about how long Laplace had been on the beach. Which, in the end, made him wonder about the people above.

Laplace always clammed up if he mentioned the people above. He really wanted to visit them, but Laplace forbid him. Well, that wasn't necessarily true. She didn't seem to care if he tried to scale it without bending, but she'd knock him out of the sky with rocks if he tried to bend and fly up. It wasn't like Aang was a master of Airbending, so he couldn't block her attacks and climb the mountain at the same time. Scaling the rock face was near impossible. The footholds were just too far apart. On top of that, the white rocks were incredibly hot in the day and that made it hard to climb up.

"Laplace..." He complained one night as they were going to sleep, "I want to go above."

She didn't move much on her bed. "Then go. What's stopping you?" She said, sounding amused. He glared at her. They both slept on the floor, but she never slept facing him. Aang was sometimes tempted to throw things at her when she was being incredibly obstinate. He was tempted to throw things at the moment, too.

"You!" He snapped.

"...I don't recall." She said, idly. "...If you're done saying things that don't add up, I need to sleep."

"You keep hitting me with rocks when I try to go up there!"

"...You can't rely on your bending up there." Laplace yawned. "Either get good enough to stop me or climb it without the help of your bending."

That surprised him. "I can't rely on my bending?" He asked, surprised. "Why not?"

She didn't turn over and didn't change the tone of her voice. "Don't be stupid, no one here can bend. If you can, people will hurt you. And I'm not going up there, so I won't be able to save you."

Aang stared at her. How could she dispense information like that without any fanfare? "What do you mean, no one here can bend?" Laplace was silent. "Laplace!" He got up and shook her shoulder. She turned over and looked at him.

"What part of it _didn't_ you understand?" She asked, coolly. He hesitated, looking at her. "...Kid." She sat up. "Don't give me that look."

"H-huh?"

"..." She patted his head. "...Look." She said, sounding slightly defeated, "This place isn't normal. The people who come here, even if they were benders, no longer can bend."

"Th-That's not true! I can bend!"

"...Yeah, but you're a lab rat." She said, with a shrug.

"...Wh...What?"

"Anyway." She tipped her head. "...Do me a favor and go to sleep. I have stuff to do tomorrow. I can't babysit you for the entire night." With that, she laid back down and turned away from him. Aang stared at her back for some time. Her breathing was even... like she was asleep.

_I'm a lab rat? Why can't anyone bend up there? What's going on?_ Aang wondered. He curled up on his bed of leaves. Laplace always fell asleep quickly and Aang was just not nearly as good at turning off his brain. He stared at the roof. _Come to think of it, she said she was a Waterbender, but not anymore. And she doesn't bend at all. So...is it true? Is it true that the people here stop bending?_ Suddenly he felt vulnerable. _Why? Why is it that way? Will I lose my bending too? She said I was a lab rat... does that mean she knows how to stop me from losing my bending?_ He looked over at Laplace. _Is it something she's doing in her little laboratory _ He wondered.

Eventually, he realized he'd been tossing and turning and sighing for hours. He got up and went outside. It was cool out and the slice of moon in the sky was bright. He walked to the shore, his mind still abuzz with thoughts.

"...Kid." He jumped. Laplace had come out and was standing behind him. He fell into the water. She helped him up, quietly.

"...Laplace!" He murmured. "...Um, did... I wake you up?"

"Doesn't matter." She said, with a shrug.

"...Laplace... How come you can't bend anymore?"

She sighed. "That's a complicated story." She said, surprisingly. "...Does it matter?"

"Yes! Because I can bend, so why can't you?!"

"Mm..." She sighed. "I don't have proof. Are you okay with that?" Aang nodded. Laplace scrutinized him. "...Very well. I believe there are multiple factors on this island that, when put together, make it difficult for the prisoners on it to bend."

"That's why you can't bend?"

"...Something like that." She said, nodding.

"...Um... what kinds of things... stop you from bending?" He asked.

"..." She shrugged. "I don't know. That's why I removed myself from the mainland. But I know the food is probably the biggest factor."

"...Food?" Aang stared at her.

"Yeah. Up there, there's a veritable bounty of food. Everything you'd ever want. It's like a paradise. Except, no one can bend." She said. "...There's also water that comes from pipes over there. It's clean and everything. That probably is contaminated too." She frowned. "...I don't trust most of the wildlife here. The only thing that I don't think is tainted is the ocean. It's impossible to taint that, but of course we're in an area with no fish that can be eaten easily... not without training on how to cook them, anyway."

"..." Aang stared at the coconuts. "...So you won't let me eat the coconuts because... they'd stop me from bending?"

"Maybe." She said.

"Then, what are you using the coconuts for?" She shrugged. "...Laplace... um..." Aang murmured. "...Doesn't... it scare you? Not being able... you know..."

"..." She sighed. "It did. I mean, when I got here and I still couldn't bend. I didn't know how I'd protect myself from the others."

"Is... that how you got the... scars?" Aang asked timidly.

"...Hmm?" She glanced at him. "...Oh. Yeah." She seemed like she was reflecting on it. She idly scratched the scar around her neck. "...Ah, well. You're male. Ah, but you're small. Never mind, you should probably be worried too."

"Worried?"

"Yeah," She said. "If you go up there."

"About what?" Aang asked.

"...? Rape." She frowned at him. "Do you think we were just killing each other for no reason?" Aang stared at her in shock.

"W-Were you..."

"No," She waved her hand. "I had knives on my person. I just killed people who tried. Eventually I just left them behind."

_Murderer..._ Aang thought. _...But is it really murder? They were trying to... to..._

"...I don't know how "civilized" they are up there, but I doubt it's _very_ civilized." She continued. "So, I don't know. Maybe you'd be okay."

"Would they really..."

"...Yeah, kid. I'm... not trying to scare you. This is just reality." She shrugged. "We can't bend. Everything we knew about ourselves is changed... messed up. And we're trapped here. We can't go back."

"Why not... build a boat and sail back?"

She just shook her head. Aang wondered if she'd tried before.

"The feeling that they're trying to impose on us is powerlessness. _Futility_." Laplace crossed her arms. "Rape is just a way to assert power. Fake, contrived power. It's the same with murder. It's just a form of power. Fake... unreal power."

"..." Aang swallowed. "...Why'd you let me try to climb it? If it's so bad up there?"

Laplace rolled her eyes. "...You want me to stop you?"

"Well, if it's so bad, then... why?"

"You'll do what you want, kid." She said. "...Your wellbeing isn't my responsibility anymore. You're capable of surviving on your own. Anyway, I'm just an old hermit. So what the hell would I know." She shook her head. "...Kid. I'm not saying not to go up there. But just going up there without preparation is foolish. If you'd think about things before you rush in... you know, you'd figure that out. You've never heard the saying "fools rush in where angels fear to tread"?"

"Uh..."

She laughed. "...Yeah, I know you didn't. It comes from- something before your time." She patted his head. "You want to go, kid? I'm behind you. But... You don't want to be a fool. Trust me."

Aang felt a little better when she patted his head. Even though she hadn't said she was doing it, she was protecting him. Laplace was... trusting him. And now that he knew about above, he was scared of going up there, but... the way she spoke made him think she believed he could go up there and come back.

But right now... he didn't want to.


	4. Voice

A/N: I'm copy and pasting this in and I noticed that doing that erases a lot of punctuation. Sorry. I'll try to keep up. It's mostly in the italic areas... and it looks stupid.

**Chapter 3: I Hear a "Voice" Inside Me Awake Again, It's Telling Me to Surrender to the Fight**

Aang was well-behaved for the next three months. He was scared. He trusted Laplace, but he didn't have a choice. She hadn't really tricked him... she was just not very forthcoming with information. And the idea that he could lose his bending, which was a huge part of who he was, it... frightened him.

But... at the same time, he felt an overwhelming sense of duty. There were innocent people up there. People like Laplace. People who were good, innocent... murderers who didn't deserve to lose their bending.

_Alright, that doesn't make any sense. But, I mean, Laplace probably didn't deserve to lose hers. And... she definitely didn't need the... rape..._ He looked over at Laplace, who was sewing in the shade. _I mean... she might have killed someone. But... I mean, what were the circumstances? And... I mean, how could someone like that be like this now?_ That thought made him pause. _What if the others changed too? How did she change? Why?_

He immediately ran over to her. She glanced at him.

"Laplace, how come you're like this?" He asked excitedly. She stared at him.

"...You're going to have to be... way more specific." She said, raising an eyebrow.

"...Well, um... I mean, you're not... murder-y."

"It's just you and me here. Are you asking me to murder you?" She looked confused.

"No! I mean, you don't act like a murderer!"

"How exactly do you think murderers act?" Laplace wondered. Aang hesitated. He wasn't sure. _Mean? Violent?_ He tried to think of something. "...We're normal. Except for the murdering part."

"...You got married... did your husband know about it?" Aang wondered.

"...Me murdering people...?" She frowned. "...Probably. Soma knew a lot more than he let on." She paused, looking down at her work. "But, it's not like we got married out of love or anything."

"...Really?"

"...Mm. We're both just monsters." She said. "I mean, it was just a convenient set-up. Nothing personal."

"But... you..." Aang murmured. He couldn't imagine being married out of convenience. "...Don't you still... love him?"

"...?" She frowned. "...I don't know. Sort of...?"

"Sort of?! But you're married!"

"Since when do married people need to love each other?" She responded.

"Since forever!"

"...Ah. Then, it looks like I messed up." She responded. Aang stared at her.

"...You...don't care?"

"...no. Soma understood what we were... what we are." She shrugged. "If he decided to get married again, I wouldn't mind. But he probably won't. He wasn't into the idea of getting married anyway."

Aang frowned. _But, she talks a lot about him. She must've cared a little bit._ "Did you guys have children?"

"No." She frowned. "One of us is barren. I don't know which."

_How sad..._ Aang thought. "...Did you want to have children?"

She shrugged. "It would be normal." She said.

_I guess she did._ Aang thought. Then he blinked. _Wait. This was about murder!_ "Um, but- how come you're clear headed now? Like you're not up there, murdering people?"

"...Firstly," She rose her hand, "I'm not that vulgar. And secondly, I don't need someone handing me victims to murder. I'm civilized."

_So... it was an accident? She's not that vulgar... she's civilized..._ Aang frowned. _Was she just put here because she was caught and murder is wrong?_ "Do you think there are others like you? Up there?"

"...Not exactly like me, but yes."

_Other people who were brought here by accident._ "...Do you think they'd be hard to find?"

"...I don't know. I mean, probably?" She frowned.

Aang sat down, his thoughts racing. _I wonder how I could go about finding people like her? It isn't like it was easy getting information from Laplace. Plus she didn't really tell me much... If there are others, though-_

"Kid." He jumped. "...Don't go up there with delusions. I'm not comfortable with other people. You should consider yourself lucky. Normally I just leave people alone."

_How is Laplace even a doctor?_ Aang wondered.

"...I know that look." She smirked. "...Doctors don't all deal with patients. There's other stuff we do." She went back to sewing. "...I don't know what your plans are, but..." She trailed off. After a couple of minutes, she said, "...sometimes it's best to let humans be humans."

"...?" He looked at her. "What do you mean?" But she'd fallen silent again, deep in thought. "..." He frowned. _She said she was a monster. I wonder..._ "Laplace?"

"...Mm."

"...Are you really a monster?"

"...!" She stared at him.

"...Err- well, you said-"

"...I'm a monster, through and through." She said, waving her hand.

"You don't seem like a monster to me."

"...Ha! That's the scary part about monsters. And people." She said. There was no humor in her voice. "They're covered in masks and make-up. They have demure, sweet voices. They charm. They lie. They deceive. Surprisingly, all for the same end. Monsters and humans just want to appear more human. But the more they try..." She shrugged. "...The more monstrous they become."

Aang pondered her words. "...Laplace?"

"Mm."

"...I don't think you're a monster."

She laughed. "...Course you don't." She said, lightly. "Now. Kid." She gazed at him. "You're really bugging me."

"Oh. Sorry."

"If you're gonna stay, just be quiet for a while." She said.

Aang watched her work. _I'll do it._ He thought, suddenly. _I'll save Laplace and everyone like her._

At dinner that night, or what sufficed for dinner between the two of them, Aang announced his plan. "I'm going to save you, Laplace."

"...From...?" She didn't look up from what she was making.

"From this place!" He said. She snorted.

"Okay." She said. "Thanks."

Aang frowned. "You don't believe me?"

"Not even a little bit." She responded.

"I mean it! I'm going to find other people like you, and I'm going to rescue them from this place!"

Laplace sighed. "Kid, are you drinking your own piss?"

"Wh-What?"

"...I'm just wondering if I should be worried for your health since your brain's going." She said. "...You can only do that once or twice before you start getting sick."

"Ew!"

"Kid, I'm not the kind of person who gets down from adversity." She said. "I mean, I got sent here and we both know there are laws about not murdering people. I'm not daunted by the task of getting off this island. I just don't have much faith in you... currently."

"But... why not?"

"...You talk some big talk, kid. But you gotta put up or shut up. Fools rush in, right?"

Aang frowned thoughtfully. "...I'm not very good with coming up with plans."

"I noticed." She said, shrugging. "Then, allow me to open your eyes." She pointed at the wall behind them. "You'll be climbing this guy at dawn."

"What? Why dawn?"

"Because the rocks get really hot during the day." She said. "You can't bend, so you should be working on your core strength. And-oof." Aang hugged her tightly.

"You'll really let me go?" He asked.

"What the hell? Kid, I'll be happy when you're not around chattering so much!" She complained. Aang just squeezed her tightly.

"I promise I'll come back! I'll make sure of it! To save you!"

Laplace grumbled something and patted Aang's head. "Kid." She said. He looked up at her. "Just get your head from between my breasts and promise me you'll start using your head a little more."

"Okay!" Aang chirped, releasing her. She sighed and looked down at herself.

"Great. No more hugs." She scowled at him. "I mean it."

"...Okay!" He chirped again.


	5. Farewells

**Chapter 4: When Dawn Breaks Again, We'll Say Our "Farewells"**

It took Aang another six months to feel like he was ready. Laplace taught him very many things. He missed being at home, but... Laplace and the little stretch of beach were very much like his "home" now.

"...Kid, you're hugging me. Again." She muttered, breaking him from his thoughts. She had sewn him a bag and was filling it with dried seaweed, kelp, and other items. She'd been making salt out of the seawater and she packed that in a glass container which she had corked. There were two huge glass flask of water, also corked. Aang was surprised she'd put so much effort into something concerning him.

"Sorry! I'm just so excited!" He admitted.

"Mmhmm." She said, packing one of the many sharpened rocks they kept around. "The seaweed I packed should stay for a while. At least two weeks. It takes just about that time to travel to the coast." He nodded. "Don't eat any animals or plants up there. Got it?" He nodded again. "Also, you're not to tell anyone that I'm here. Is that understood?"

"But-"

"Kid, no one."

"...Alright." He agreed.

"..." She frowned at him. "...I don't trust you. Don't make me have to see if I can cause amnesia."

"That sounds threatening," He singsonged. "You couldn't hurt me. You love me."

She muttered something under her breath and turned back to the bag. "I have faith that you won't get yourself killed, but let's go over this once more, just to be sure you're listening." She said.

"No bending. Ever. Ever ever." Aang chirped cheerily. "Not even in dire circumstances."

"Good." Laplace murmured. "I'm glad that got through to you."

"But we're going to need bending to do it."

"Do..."

"To leave."

"Right, right." Laplace muttered. "...That part of your scheme is still a part of your scheme."

"That's not funny, Laplace. I really will get you out of here."

"..." She rolled her eyes. "Do you have a plan outside of "Let's Bend Us The Hell Outta Here"?"

"...Well..."

"They won't budge against _a_ bender and his ragtag group of exploring non-benders." She murmured. "So just go up and adventure, or whatever it is you plan on doing, and stay if you like it enough."

"I couldn't do that to you! I'll definitely come back."

"Great." The tone was incredibly uncaring, but Aang didn't mind. Laplace didn't express emotions well, not usually. There were a lot of things she just didn't do, things that he supposed would make her seem abnormal outside of the island. But he liked that about her. He liked that most things barely fazed her, it meant that she was calm. And when she was bothered, it almost always was something serious, though he'd only seen her bothered once in the months he'd lived with her. One time out of... a year and then some. He wished he could be like that. All the same, she hadn't told him who "they" were, because whomever "they" were, "they" bugged her. He thought they were Fire Nation, initially, because everyone had a problem with the Fire Nation and how they were running things, but probing helped him determine that her care level about Fire Benders and the Fire Nation were low. It was probably because she was a Water Bender. "Just what I wanted."

Aang was never sure if she disliked him being there, though she didn't seem to hate him. But he understood that she liked being alone and he was sure that the time apart would satisfy her want for that, at least. He was going to come back with people, regardless of what she wanted. He had to. This place was the only place where people could train their bending abilities in secret. But before he did that, he'd have to get a straight answer out of Laplace about whether or not she could bend. She never did and barely practiced, but at many times had said things that made him believe that she was a master of sorts. She also had a strange and ridiculous knowledge of other bending styles, which Aang never actually understood. But she always fended off those questions by saying that she was a doctor, which at least explained parts of her knowledge. If he ran into non-Master Benders... he was confident that Laplace could teach them.

"Laplace?"

"Mm." She closed the bag and hefted it, testing it's weight.

"Do you think they... bring new people here often?"

"I don't know. Probably." She shrugged. "From the mainland, you'd be able to tell. They only ever approach from one side."  
_Oh?_ Aang blinked. He hadn't known that before. _What other stuff do you know about them that you're not telling me, Laplace...?_ "Well, I'll keep an eye out. I'm going to find people just like you!"

"...I'm telling you, it's not a good idea to go wandering around up there, trying to determine which murderers are the least... murder-y." She shook her head. "Now you've got me saying it. Get out of here already. And stop hugging me!"

He laughed, releasing her. "It's almost time. Are you going to watch?"

"...I was thinking about going to sleep." She said. "But you'll probably get upset if I don't watch." She sighed, looking out towards the ocean.

Aang contemplated his journey once again. He rather liked the idea of going out on an expedition, although he didn't like being alone. He wished Laplace was more tolerant of people- or interested in the people above- so she could come along.

They sat in silence for a while- Aang didn't know what Laplace was thinking about, but he was wondering about the people he'd meet and if they'd all just be trying to kill him. She had said a few times that most of them weren't all just out to kill random people, so they weren't necessarily killing each other because they were crazed murderers, but since the situation was so... odd, they ended up killing each other, whether from the rape or the insanity of it all or the powerlessness. Her explanation had been brief and could only be loosely called an explanation, but he sort of understood that this island was a world removed from what he knew. The way she spoke made him think that perhaps she understood the feelings they had and thought that he might not. He wondered how much everything had changed.

"Kid." She got up. "C'mon. Before the sun breaks, you've gotta be at least halfway up."

"...!" He got to his feet. Laplace seemed as unruffled as ever. Aang was nervous about leaving her behind. The confidence she exuded was relaxing. Even when he was unsure, she was sure... and he was going to an unknown place where she wouldn't be there to give him peace of mind. His stomach churned. She was walking towards the wall, but Aang hadn't moved.

"...?" She turned. "Cold feet already, kid?"

"..." He hurried after her. "...Sorry."

She chuckled and patted his head. "...Don't apologize, kid." She said. "It's not natural for me, but I assume normal people get afraid from time to time."

"That... didn't help at all." He muttered.

That made her laugh. "No? I'll work on my motivational phrasing."

"No you won't."

She seemed pleased. "You're correct." She said. "Here." She handed him the bag. He took it and looked up at her. Those pretty blue eyes... so blue. They were comforting, even when she wasn't.

"..." He hugged her abruptly.

"Nngh. Kid..." She patted his head again. "...Jeez. It's not going to be forever. If you miss me that much, then just come back."

Aang's eyes widened in surprise. She'd always told him to go up there and possibly never return, if he could manage it. This was the first time she'd willingly asked him to come back. He hugged her tighter. "I will!" He promised. "I definitely will!"

She didn't say anything. After a while, she pushed him away. "Go on." He nodded, heading towards the wall. "...Kid. Aang." She corrected herself. He turned back in surprise. She never used his name, either. "..." she sighed and looked away. "I have faith. Good luck."

He brightened up. _She has faith in me!_ He thought, happily. It was probably the closest she'd ever get to telling him "I don't want you to die" or "I care about you". He rejoiced.

"I'll be back!" He said excitedly, turning back to face the wall. He was practically glowing with confidence. Laplace believed in him and wanted him to come back. She wanted him to come back! Maybe she even believed he'd save her. He was... well, he was confident.

_You just wait, Laplace!_ He thought, taking hold of the rock. It was cool to the touch. _I'll come back and save you. I definitely will!_


	6. Illuminating

A/N: It took too long to reach this point in the story, where I can just send Aang out roaming and stuff. I guess the four previous chapters are just too boring/no one cares, but... Now I have so much to write.

-sigh- I update regardless of reviews, but it's kind of disheartening to see a huge traffic count and no reviews. I don't even know why this is getting a huge traffic count. Eh... I must not be that disheartened, because I'm still writing it.

**Chapter 5: The Light of The Full Moon Shines Down, "Illuminating" the World with Its Divine Light**

Aang was _tired_. Laplace had said that climbing the rock would be pretty tiring, which was why he had to spend hours working out every day, but he hadn't expected to be this tired. When he looked down, though, Laplace was still there, waiting. He was sure she was just waiting for him to reach the top and then she'd go back to sleep. He didn't want her to stay up too late, so he pressed on.

His thoughts were all very focused on the rock, which Aang found pretty funny. When else in his life could he say he really contemplated a rock?

When the sun came up, he wasn't sure how high up he was. He could see the end was clearly in sight, and... well, Laplace was visible, but he was way too high up to discern facial features or anything like that. He reached up and grabbed another outcropping.

_So close..._ He thought, staring up at the edge of the rock. _So... close!_

He was repeating this so much, it surprised him when he did reach the top of the rock. He pulled himself up and waved down at Laplace, who just turned and went back to the hut. He didn't feel slighted. She _had faith_. He looked out at the horizon.

"Today's a beautiful day." He said aloud. He wondered what time it was. Down there- now it felt like a lifetime ago, even though he just left- Laplace had been the one who told time. She'd taught him the method, though he was bad at determining the hour. Eventually he'd given up on learning that aspect of time. She hadn't said anything and didn't even seem disappointed. He sort of wished she'd pushed him to learn it, but...

"...I'm going, Laplace." He said, turning away from the sunrise. There was a forest there. A forest. It had been so long since he'd seen this many trees! He couldn't help but start inspecting everything, but that only served to get him lost. He didn't mind. The sense of freedom was unparalleled. It as like back when he lived at the monastery...

_...Back then, huh._ He stopped in his tracks. It had been a long time since he thought about the monastery. Well... before- again, it seemed like a lifetime ago- Laplace had been very... good about forcing him to not think about it. He hadn't noticed it, but she was always changing his job and teaching him new things. He barely had time to think about what life used to be like. But now? he was on his own. He didn't have jobs to do or someone to hold him to it. All he could think about was "home". The home he had before.

He shook his head. _I've got a new home._ He thought. _With someone who has faith. So I definitely don't need to feel homesick. I can go back whenever I want. She won't be mad._ The thought made him cheery, not extremely so, but enough that he kept moving.

The first night alone was an odd, but sobering night. Aang knew he'd feel alone. Even though Laplace was independent, she was still a person. When he couldn't sleep, he'd normally watch her until he grew tired. He wasn't scared, but... he was kind of scared.

The beach was always pretty quiet and the forest wasn't as quiet. But eventually, he managed to fall asleep.

He woke up the next morning feeling clammy. There was no sun- the trees were too dense- but maybe it had rained overnight or something? Laplace had told him that having shelter at night was important, but he hadn't thought about that until, well, the morning.

_And now where do I go?_ He thought, getting up. He stuffed some seaweed into his mouth and looked around. Sure, frolicking yesterday was great fun, but now he was lost. Perfect. It wasn't as though he knew where he was going in the first place, either. He spent the whole morning stumbling around in the woods until he reached another cliff. This one was far less steep than the one he'd climbed... and was overlooking a small village near a giant water tank. _Wow!_ he thought, staring out towards the village. _It's really close!_

However, when he cleared his head, he knew the real reason why it seemed so close. The village wasn't actually right beneath him, it was far out before him. The drop between the small plateau that the village was on and the cliff he was on was huge. At the very least, it would take a week to climb safely from his perch to reach the ground and reach the plateau. Hopefully there were stairs or something on the plateau, too

_And then what? How do I approach the people there?_ Aang wondered. He realized that his non-knowledge about a lot of things- like who was bringing people to the island, or whether or not everyone on the island was actually a murderer- would cause him trouble. He didn't think Laplace would lie to him- she didn't seem to care enough about anything to want to lie about it- but it would be really weird to have a story vastly different from the others... if they asked about him.

_...Well, if I learned one thing from Laplace, it's how to be brooding and mysterious,_ He thought cheerily. _So I suppose I could just do that!_ He looked down the cliff. There was an outcropping that he thought he might be able to reach and rest on for a little while. _Okay! One step at a time! Planning!_ He thought firmly. _If I get to that outcropping, then I can look around for another safe way down. And so on and so on, until I'm all the way down._ He thought seriously. He began his trip down the cliff.

Climbing down a cliff was much more scary than climbing up one. Aang supposed it was just that he was afraid to fall and he kept thinking about it, but he managed to get to the first outcropping, and then the next outcropping. He decided not to try going down any further for the a little while. Instead, he stared up into the sky.

The sun was overhead. That made it noon. Aang stuffed some seaweed into his mouth. _I wonder what Laplace is doing?_ He thought. He was sort of thirsty... he uncorked one of the glass bottles and took a drink. _Probably just fishing._ He sort of wanted to go fishing again. And now that he thought about it... _This village is nowhere near the shore!_ He thought, his eyes wide. "I can't stay here..." He murmured. "I can't eat anything here...So... do I even go?"

Laplace had packed two weeks worth of food. Two weeks... and it would take one week to reach the plateau. He'd eaten about two days worth. Maybe. _So... I guess this is it? I have to make a choice. The village? Or the sea?_ He shook his head. _Duh, the village._ He thought. _I have to. There might be someone there who I can save!_

Aang looked over at the village, illuminated by the sun's bright rays. _Someone who wants to escape this place._


	7. Beautiful

**Chapter 6: While Looking Over the City In The Morning Glow, The Day Becomes "Beautiful"**

Aang had nearly gotten himself killed getting to the plateau, but he'd made it. He felt a lot older than he did a week ago. _I wonder if this is like one of those spirit journeys for enlightenment,_ Aang thought, frowning as he thought back on his monastery days. He recalled learning that a trip through the wilderness alone in order to find a place to meditate was usually called the most cathartic of times during the quest for enlightenment.

He certainly felt enlightened after climbing the steep stairs in the plateau. It was grueling since the plateau was in direct sunlight. He'd been in the woods for so long, he'd nearly forgotten how tiring it was to be out in the sun. He'd taken to cursing the stairs every time he lifted his leg, so he was surprised to be at the top. It felt weird to no longer be reaching upwards... maybe he was just getting used to climbing. This had to be the third time he really _contemplated_ a rock. How weird was that?

In any case, it was a weird place. There were... well, pipes running down each side of the plateau, which were covered by tented wood. He assumed it was to keep the pipes cool, but it made it so that one couldn't see the pipes themselves. Near the bottom of the plateau there was a clearly manmade river... but it was dry. Aang could only see one pipe leading to the river. That meant there were probably more rivers. _Maybe this pipe needs repairs?_

Before him, there was a large, wooden gate. He shook his thoughts from his head. This was it, wasn't it? _Here I am._ He thought. Tired, but still excited, he went to push the gates open only to have a rock nearly take his hand off. It was reflex that made him jerk back and reflex made him shout, "What the hell!"

"Oh! Sorry!" A different voice cried out apologetically. "It's just- it's my first time and-" Aang looked around. The blubbering person was... a young male. He had pale skin and dark hair. He was mostly just saying "sorry" and giving excuses. Aang listened for a couple of minutes out of the shock of there being _another human being to listen to_, and then realized he wasn't really listening as much as just letting the words wash over him.

"Um, so... can I come in?" Aang wondered.

"Uh! Well, about that, I can't just- um, let you in because- I mean, I think..." The boy stuttered nervously. Aang couldn't help but smile at that.

"That's okay. I can wait."

"Oh! Well- I mean, yeah, I guess but- I'm sorry, it must be boring and- I mean, I'm not helping or anything, I just- Oh! I wish I was better at this job, I really do-"

Aang laughed. "You're pretty funny. I'm Aang! Who are you?"

"..." The boy looked nervous. "...Um, Tyne." He said, quickly. "Ah- um, but- I'm not a guard yet, so you don't have to call me Guard or Sir or anything like that- I mean, I would like to be one, but-"

An older man stopped Tyne from talking. He'd come out of nowhere, surprising Aang. It looked like he might've been Fire Nation. Tyne could have been from the Earth Kingdom. The older man laughed, a loud, cheery laugh. "What's this? A visitor to our fine town?"

_Well, I already can't believe this place is full of murderers._ Aang thought. _Why would Laplace lie about something like that?_

"H-He's Aang... S-Sir..." Tyne said, shakily. The older man clapped Tyne's shoulder so hard, it seemed like the diminutive boy's bones might break.

"Aang, eh? Welcome! Of course, we'll have to look you over and determine why you're here, but of course you can come in!"

Pleased, Aang watched as the gates opened, but then was greeted by a bunch of spears. "Uh-" he let a terrified whimper pass his lips. The people holding the spears had no mercy in their eyes. They looked... hungry. They looked like they were really willing to kill him. Aang took a step backwards.

"I'm really sorry!" Tyne cried. "It's just that outsiders- I mean they- And you, I can't-"

The older, jolly man suddenly became serious. "Yeah, right kid, like we'd just invite you in. Hand over whatever's in that bag of yours and get the hell out of here."

Aang blinked. _Laplace did say something about this..._ He thought. His thoughts were calmer than his heartbeat was and he was paralyzed, unable to run. _That everyone's paranoid about everyone else. I thought it was just the murderer thing._ He stared at the spears. _...But this isn't really effective for killing me. What if they have archers or something?!_ He still couldn't move until one of the spears was thrown at him. Then Aang turned tail and ran.

He could hear them after him, all the same. He was so _tired_! Reaching the top of the plateau was annoying and he was already running without a rest... Laplace's lessons weren't really about running from mobs. And why was a mob chasing him in the first place?

He jumped off the plateau and almost killed himself falling back into the forest, though he managed to keep running and not look back. No one was behind him, but he still gave himself a great amount of distance before he stopped running.

_Okay. Okay. Not everyone is nice. Not everyone is nice._ He assured himself. But his heart was thumping and his ears ringing like he'd been next to an explosion. _It's scary... It's scary..._ His thoughts raced. Randomly, some of Laplace's words surfaced in his mind.

**_"That's the scary part about monsters. And people. They're covered in masks and make-up. They have demure, sweet voices. They charm. They lie. They deveive. Surprisingly, all for the same end. Monsters and humans just want to appear more human. But the more they try, the more monstrous they become."_**

_Were... those real monsters?_ He wondered. His hands were shaking and he stared at them in surprise. _Real monsters..._ They'd made him think for sure he was going to get in. _But why not just chase me away?_

He started running again. He wasn't sure why. To get away from his thoughts? But they kept up with him, plaguing him. The next village... the next set of civilized people... _I have to be more careful._


	8. Specks

**Chapter 7: I Was Told That I Am Just One Of the Countless "Specks" of Dust On This Planet**

Aang had barely slept that night. He thought he heard those people coming after him and had woken and started running again. Now, the sun was overhead and he hadn't slept much. He collapsed in a sunny field after a while. He was terrified, but still slipped in to a dreamless sleep. He woke to someone shaking his shoulder.

"Huh...?" He looked up. A dark skinned boy and girl were nearby him. The boy was kneeling and the girl was standing- and they both were armed with bows. The boy had what looked like a hunting knife and a boomerang too. "?!" He jerked away from them.

"Hey, guy- uh... we're not gonna hurt you! Right?" The boy looked at his female companion. "Oh. So you aren't pointing an arrow at him." She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled.

"This is a weird place to go to sleep." She said, kindly. "...You must be tired."

Aang blinked. _They seem nice..._ Then he shook his head. _No, no! That town before-_ His mind seemed split on the issue.

"...?" The boy looked around. "...Well, I guess he came from that way..." He pointed in the direction Aang came from. "Oh, fuck me. He might be from Water Town."

"No one leaves Water Town alive, or something." The girl said.

"You stop making up urban legends, god damn it!" The boy turned and pointed at her. She grinned.

"Whatever, Sokka."

The boy turned back to Aang. "Where are you from? The village on the plateau?" Aang furiously shook his head. "Wait, really?" He frowned. "I don't know what else is out there." He looked Aang over. "But, you know about the village on the plateau. Hmm."

Aang finally found his voice. "I... wanted to go... in and- they seemed like they'd let me in, but-"

"Then they tried to murder you," The girl nodded. "Classic Fire Nation."

"Some of them are Dai Li," The boy argued.

_Fire Nation?_ Aang wondered. The boy frowned at Aang and then nodded, as if reading his mind.

"It seems like you don't know a lot about that village," The boy said, "...But it's like a military base. They control the waterflow to the other villages. Every couple of months, an airship comes by to replace the water and- those guys, most of them, they're Fire Nation. We think they're all- benders."

"So, no one goes against them." The girl finished. "...We have to send them food every couple of months too. They're living in luxury over there."

"You're not Fire Nation, so they wouldn't let you in." The boy said. "And they normally just chase people off. Or, you know. Kill them." Then the boy paused. "...Oh- I'm Sokka." He grinned. "And her, she's Suki." The girl smiled and nodded her head.

"I'm... Aang." Aang said, carefully. _Well... they don't seem...like those others..._

"Aang? Weird name. So where are you from, Aang? I've never been north of Water Town."

"Um..." Aang frowned. "...I don't... know if you'd call it a village... it's just me and- my mother." He lied.

"Just you and your mother, huh." Sokka nodded. "...Oh! You're Air Nomad, right? So you and you mom, do you just wander back that way?"

_He's just making up a backstory for me._ Aang realized. He nodded.

"...I think he's still a bit shaken." Suki said. "...You really didn't know about Water Town, huh..." She said, seeming apologetic. "...That's a really crappy way to be introduced to this place."

"This place is also pretty crappy, but... she's right." Sokka said. "So why'd you approach Water Town? I mean, sounds like you had a good life. Sort of."

"I just wanted to go adventuring..." He mumbled.

"Adventuring? Well, sounds reasonable. You're just a kid, though." Sokka smiled. Aang looked up at him. He had the same blue eyes like Laplace. Hers were a bit more of a bright blue and his were darker, navy... But still. He relaxed. "...Well, I'm not sure how eager you are to head back towards your mom," Sokka continued, "So if you want, we can take you back to the village."

"R-Really...?" Aang said, surprised.

"Really really," Suki grinned. She was tanned, but her eyes were blue, like a murky sapphire. It was really pretty... was she also a Water Tribesman? "I'm sure everyone would love seeing a new face."

Aang brightened considerably. _They're not monsters!_ He thought, happily. _But... I can't really imagine them as murderers, either..._ "Thanks! I mean- I-"

Sokka clapped his shoulder. "No need to thank us! But we won't be headed back until we get a deer."

Suki nodded. "Speaking of, we should really get going. Aang, you're pretty accustomed to moving quietly through the woods, right? You can help us track the deer?"

He definitely couldn't lie to them and say yes. "...No. Um, I'm a vegetarian." He said.

Sokka's mouth fell open. "You don't eat meat?" He cried.

"Uh... yes?"

Tears came to Sokka's eyes. "You're... you're the best!" He said, his eyes glittering with unshed tears.

"He's just trying to get your portion of meat from you when we get back." Suki said, giving Sokka a gentle kick. "I'll make sure to tell the others you're vegetarian. They won't dole out a portion for you."

"Oh come on!" Sokka complained, looking at her. "I could just eat his share!"

Aang looked between the two, who had started arguing playfully. _Hunters from another village..._ He thought. _And they made it sound like there were more villages here._

Suki held out her hand to Aang. "C'mon. You can hang out at our base." Aang took her hand and allowed her to help him up.

"Um, so... are there a lot of other people here?"

"A lot?" Sokka responded. "...Well, no, not particularly. There's us- we're the Southern Alliance. And then there's some people to the East who all seem a bit cruel. Eastern Republic, I think." Then Sokka paused.

"...I know the names sound like we're huge groups of people, but it's something left over from the previous group that were sent here."  
"There's a bunch of thieves living in the woods," Suki said.

"Yeah, screw them," Sokka said, scowling. "...They live somewhere between us and the Eastern Republic, and they raid the village a lot. Well, I think they're under new management now, since Jing seems to be dead."

"Jing?" Aang asked.

"He was the leader of the thieves before." Sokka explained. "He was a nice guy, too. Well, I dunno. I've only been here, like a year." He sighed. "...Jing would come down every now and then and give us stuff. Like reparations for stealing. Like he gave us a stock of berries when we were running low after Water Town nearly ate us dry. Dicks."

Suki chuckled. "...Yeah, Jing was a great guy. He was one of the older guys on the island, too. I guess maybe it all caught up to him. Being stuck here... forever."

Sokka's expression went somber. "Well, I'm gonna live and find a way off this island and show those bastards they can't just get rid of me by stowing me on an island somewhere!"

Aang perked up. "Really?"

"Don't get taken in," Suki chuckled. "Sokka's always planning this kind of stuff, but he can't do it because he just doesn't have the means."

"Well, don't make it sound like it's impossible!" Sokka complained. Suki held up her hands like she was preventing herself from being attacked.

"What did I say?" She asked.

Sokka glared at her, but finally shrugged and motioned to Aang. "Anyway. We've been chatting your ears off. Tell us about yourself!"

They started walking out of the sunny area, towards a glade.  
Aang smiled. "Uh, well.. My mom, she's not... really my my mom," He said. "...She's just this woman who's been taking care of me. I, um... Don't remember much about coming to this island. And then I got here and I just... but she took care of me." He didn't mention Laplace's name. He wasn't comfortable with revealing her existence just yet.

"That makes sense," Sokka said. "...Well, a little. You weren't on our boat, and we were the last set of suiciders sent here."

"Suicide?" Aang wondered.

"?" They looked at him.

"...Sorry, I just... I think I fell off the boat. That's the way my mom explained it, anyway. I don't remember anything before I started living here," Aang lied immediately.

"Whoa. Dude, that sucks." Sokka shook his head. "So you just happened to wash up on the shore instead of floating out towards the ships."

"Uh... sure."

Suki said, helpfully, "The ships that patrol this area are our jailers. They're all benders, mostly Fire Nation." She frowned. "But I was sent here by the Dai Li, so I don't know why Fire Nation soldiers are patrolling us."

_It's... "them"._ Aang thought, in surprise. _Those people who bothered Laplace so much!_

"I was sent by the Fire Nation," Sokka said, looking annoyed. "So I know exactly why. To keep us in line and out of the water."

"...Um, didn't.. they send murderers to this island?" Aang asked.

"...Murderers? Huh." Sokka frowned. "...No, I don't think so. I have heard that there's a serial killer here though. Bet money he's in Water Town, too."

"Well... people on the island are murderers," Suki said, thoughtfully. "But I don't think anyone was sent here because they're a murderer. Except maybe the serial killer, but then, we don't even know if that's true. It's not like there's a centralized government or something to protect us from that. Usually murders happen over dumb stuff like.. food and water."

"But there's a lot of food here, right?"

"...Not in this area," Sokka said, shrugging. "It's not just two people foraging, there's like... twenty of us. Eh. A few more than twenty."

"About thirty-five." Suki said, as they entered the glade. "That's just in our community."

Aang nodded. _Thirty-five people... _He thought, surprised.

"I don't know when, but there was definitely some kind of argument and the people who lived here burned a good portion of the trees to the ground. So we don't have much in the way of like, real food. There's breadfruit, and trust me, even if you do like breadfruit, you don't actually _like_ breadfruit." Sokka said, scowling.

"The Eastern Republic's main source of food is bananas," Suki said, helpfully. Aang nodded. "They don't tend to eat the way we do, though. We can harvest, they can't. I mean, it's fortunate that it's like, never winter here, but they can have a spoiled batch and then..." She shrugged.

Sokka nodded. "Well, we don't know too much about the Eastern Republic. For whatever reason, we're fighting each other and Water Town and the thieves."

"It's not for whatever reason," Suki muttered, "It's because they killed one of ours."

"Yeah, the one guy in our village who deserved to die got killed. What a loss." Sokka responded idly.

"It's still a life, Sokka." Suki said. "Let's not talk about this. Anyway, Aang, sorry! We keep interrupting you!"

Aang shook his head. "It's okay. I mean, it's been... forever since I met other people." He said. "...My mom doesn't really like talking and this is so different! It's great!"

Sokka chuckled. "See, you're my kind of guy." He said. "You give me your meat and you want to talk? We're already best friends."

"Since when did he say he was giving you anything?" Suki teased.

"You just keep your mouth shut so I can get his share when we get back."

"Absolutely not." She said. "Aang, what fruits did you have where you come from?"

"...Well, judging by your bag..." Sokka said, "Something like coconuts?"

Surprised, Aang nodded. "You really know your stuff."

Sokka shrugged. "It pays to pay attention to little things like that. Are you carrying a coconut with you?"

"...Um, no," Aang said. "My mom liked eating seafood better, but the fish here are all inedible. So she just dried seaweed. We ate that, mostly and kelp. And crustaceans, if we could get them."

"You didn't eat the coconuts?" Sokka asked, shocked.

"Well, she used them for stuff," He said. "But I never ate one."

"Your mom's kind of weird, huh? She went for seaweed instead..." Sokka frowned. "...Well, I suppose it might be better for you that way. But Coconuts... man... think about the possibilities."

"Possibilities?" Aang asked.

"Yeah, you can make palm wine out of the sap from those trees. And you can make coconut sugar too, if you boil it. And then you can get coconut oil. If we could solidify it, we'd have butter." Sokka said. "...Butter for bread," He said, starting to drool.

Suki smiled at Aang. "So you just have seaweed on you?"

"Um, well..." Aang opened the bag. "I have seaweed and kelp and some materials to cut things, water, salt, clay-"

"Wait, wait." Sokka held up his hands. "...how are you transporting water? You don't eat animals, so you don't have a skin, right?" Aang shook his head. "So, then... how...?"

"...?" Aang frowned. "...In glass?" He took out one of his flasks.

Sokka and Suki stared at him in shock. "...Glass...?" Suki reached out and touched it. "...You have glass? It doesn't look anything like the glass I'm used to." They observed the flask for a while. "How'd you..."

"My mom made it." Aang said, suddenly feeling proud of Laplace. "she made it with the sand on the beach we stayed at, normally."

"She can make glass...?" Sokka murmured. "Do you know how to do it too?"

"Err... no, not really." Aang said. "... She never showed me."

"...Damn- But, you said salt." Sokka said. Aang took out his flask of salt. "...No kidding! How'd you do that?"

Aang brightened. This he had learned. "It was really easy! You just have to boil the seawater until you have this mud-like slush, and then you spread that out to dry. It becomes salt!"

"..." Sokka nodded. "...Man, I'd never thought about that." He murmured. "And it's so simple. We could preserve meat for longer and everything..." He shook his head. "Your mom is weird, but she's some kind of genius, huh?" Aang couldn't bring himself to tell Sokka Laplace wasn't weird. She was. It wasn't a wrong thing to say.

"Wait, you have water." Suki stopped in her tracks. "...How? I mean, you don't pay Water Town, so..."

"...?" Aang blinked. "Um, well, my mom makes these things to collect water." He said. "She'd use clay to make cups, and she'd surround the cups with wet leaves, and then-"

"She made a still." Sokka said, his eyes wide. "Man! I'm jealous!"

"H-Huh?"

"Your mom, she's like, a genius. I mean, that kind of stuff wouldn't work for a community, but... I don't think very many people would think to do that." Sokka grinned at him. "You must be really good at getting your own food! That seems like a fun kind of thing to try... surviving in the wilderness on my own..."

Suki smiled. "Well, here we are." They were approaching a small hut. "Base sweet base."

"Oh, right. Aang, you can chill out here- we probably won't be back for a while, but you'll be safe." Sokka nodded. "We've been tracking the deer for a while, so today we should be able to grab one."

"After that, we'll head back. And I promise this time we'll totally shut up and let you tell us about what kinds of stuff you did with your mom." Suki grinned.

Aang couldn't help but smile.


End file.
